Latching and door hinging means and arrangement thereof in a cabinet structure



Patented ct. 2.6, 1943 STRUCTURE n Frank G. Steiner, Miami Beach, F1a., assig'lnor tol lSteiner Sales Company, Salt Lake City, Utah, a

corporation of Utah imams, (c1. :zie-1a)` `4,1942, Serial 45 Thisiapplication *is` divisionalof my v,cependlg aiplioatun` Serial No; 336,954, filed May 24, 1940; and is particularly concerned with' a twodoor cabinet structure `and hinging `anwlatching mechanisms for thedoor thereof.

An object is to'- provide apositiveflock 'which automatically'lockswhen the rvdoor is closed, and in which the lock is particularly adapted for vdoors 'for medicine cabinets vwhich have mirrors mounted thereon-'and in which the mirror has an area substantially equal to that of the door. i An object is-to provd'e'a construction whiclidoe's -``1"f10"t require drilling through'the mirror in orde-r zto 'attaehthe keeper. A

Objects, features andajdvantages of the invern'- tion will appear inthe description `of the-drawings forming-a part of this `specication, and Tin said drawings: '1

' Figure 1 isa Afront viewfof the closed cabinet;`

Figure 2 is a vertical section of the oabinet `Figure 3 'is fahorizontal vsectiontaker-1'fon line 3-3ofFig`u're1; 'Y f 4 i Figure 4 is -a horizontal section Figure 1, looking upwardly; #i l Figure `5 is a'vertie'al section on line ii--lifof Figure 1';'a`nd r l Figure 6 is a dtail felevation `0f the 'front Jrof the cabinet body, `with part of the `Stifieningfand latch-backing Vflange brkenaway.

`In the drawings, the numeral I-generally indi-- cates 'the' cabinet, thenumeral 2 the upperfdoor, the'numeral Vthevlower door, and the numeral '4 the delivery or discharge opening which is -forned by 'the `upper edge ofthe lower door andrthe lower edge of lthe upper door, after the doors 'are closed. The doors are overlapped insuch-mam ner that the upper door can hold the lowei-fdoor closed. See Figurezp w The upper door is hinged (see Figures 1 and 3) at one side by hinges 5 having vertical pivots 6. The lower door 3 (see Figure 2) swings downwardly about horizontal pivots 1 which pass through U-shaped hinging brackets 8 fixed to the on liners-4 of door 3, the arrangement being such that the door can be swung to a position to form a shelf.

A feature of the invention (see Figure 3) is the formation of the sides I0 and the back I l of the cabinet in one piece of lightweight metal, and the utilization of reenforcing flanges l2, also of one piece with the metal sides, not only for stiffening the structure, but for performing other f unctions to be described, including that of providing an opening for the keeper of the door.

The top ofthe cabinet (see Figure 2) is formed 55 'of fa plate i8 having flanges i9 on four sides which are d'posed inside o'fithe back and rsidefoirn'ir'ig elements'bf `a single piece 'before rn-feht'i'oned. "The flanges rne fiatiy against the inner 'surfaces of 'the corresponding sides and back and 'are `suitably attached byfwelding. The front flang'e (I9 isfseeured tof-'anges t2.. The `f'irmt ofthe plate Ifis ifonndedvasatii by iturnin'gpart for A its "flange backs/army against its under sun face. .y t Figure-3 show'sthe hin'gin'g feature, wherein one -lea'f 'off the hinge 5 is Y'secured to thelinnerface of the door and the other leaf 3E) is passedthrough `a slot 3i inside fmandis fat'tacli'ed totheriimer 'surface offlang'e IZ.

`rBhe upper door I2 "'s onmedfofx'a Single Sheet o'f inet'al turned upon itselff 'on ktwovertical sides and-at 'the bottom to yform a ycontinuous marginal "1U-shaped groove 5i on three sides 'and at'th'e f'rnt for freceiving:and` retain-ing. 'the mirror 52. Phe -mirror is` introducedbfim the top. After placement :a top"U-'slf1ap`e'l strip 53 -is )placed fas shown in Figure@ @and "secured byscrewsn entering openings in theiback 'of thsifngle piece doorn l l f YAnlinrpor'tant feature is thefstructu-re )oy which the door is latchedi-nlclo'sed position.v Thefdoo'r is provided o'n its ih'ner isur-fa'cefwith 'a lkeeper `56 having 'a vertical notch :or recess-5'! wat fits top. This fkee'pe'r 'isl ALfs`hape`d yarldis attached 'by fa flatrlportioh 'tothe inner surface of fthe door. The flange :l 2 --on ftlriait fs'ide iof fthe 'cabinet "opposite the fhinging fi'de is "provided with a slot E0 through 'which the keeperlpasses. Lffshaped plate 6I acts as a latching element "and litsflower edge cooperates with the notch i5?! of 'thehkee'per tolsecure theidoo'rl 'The .plate 16d engages the inner fface of ftheange 'and -iisjslidably held by a :screw "63 passing Et-,l'n'ougnfa.'s'lotrM fin the side of the cabinet. A latch-operating button 65 is secured to the screw and lies (see Figures l and 3) behind the laterally projecting part of the door. The door is so made as to project beyond the outer surface of the cabinet at the top and at the sides and this projection at the sides makes the operating button and the hinges invisible to a person standing directly in front of the mirror or closed door of the cabinet. It is noted that the flange l2 receives the keeper and forms a backing .or abutment for the latch.

It is to belnoted particularly that the outside appearance of the cabinet is very neat, that there are very few projections, that the plane surfaces are very easy to nish withv enamel or paint. The back and sides are formed by bending a.

hind this projecting portion and, using the rear'v face of the projecting portion as a guide, moves his finger into operative engagement with thebutton.

Another advantage of the latching mechanism is that an angle-iron is used for the latching member, and the two faces of this iron respectively engage the side wall of the cabinet and a stiffener flange which extends linwardly from the front of the side wall. In this way the latch is not only strengthened but is guided in a corner formed by two wall surfaces, one a flange against which the door closes. The button and the screw which attaches the button are the sole means by which the latch is; translatably attached. Thus, a very simple, easily assembled device is provided. The latch is very freelyrnovable because sufficient play is allowed. The latch is strong, due to its angle-iron structure and to the manner of guiding it by two flat surfaces, in this instance arranged substantially at right angles to one another. This corner location between the side wall and the flange is an important feature of this invention from the standpoint of ruggedness, positiveness of operation, and simplicity of construction. Y

Attention is particularly called to the fact that the front flanges are coplanar and that the rear face of the door when closed is coplanar with the outersurfaces of these flanges. It is to be noted that this novel arrangement of positively ush closure of the door is obtained by the novel structures of the flanges, hinges andkeeperand flange recesses. Those leaves of the hinges which are secured to the door are received in depressions of the flanges, which depressions extend inwardly from their front faces, and the keeper of the door is received in the samekind of a depression, which also extends inwardly from the front face of the flan-ge.

I therefore believe myself the first to make a door for a cabinet,particularly one whichcarries a looking glass, and to so arranged the hinges and the latch in an all metal cabinet that the rear face of the sheet metal door can lie flush with the front face of the cabinet, and so that the door hides the hinges and the operating element for the latch. l

What I claim is:

1. A latch for a cabinet which has a side wall having a flange, which flange has an opening through which a keeper of a door for the cabinet is adapted to pass, said latch comprising a latch members slidably guided by the corresponding inner faces of the wall and flange and adapted to lockingly engage the keeper after passage of the keeper through the opening in the flange, said cabinet having a slot in the side wall, a button at the outer side of the wall and means passing loosely through said wall slot and securing the latch member to said button, said button and securing means retaining said latch member in slidably mounted relation on said cabinet side wall.

2. Agravity-operable latch for a cabinet which v has a side wall having an inwardly turned flange at the front, which'flange has an opening through vwhich a keeper of a door for the cabinet is ladapted to pass,- said latch comprising an angle iron having its outer faces slidably guided by the corresponding inner faces of the wall and flange and adapted to lockingly en-gage the keeper after. it has passed through the opening in the flange, said cabinet havinga slot in jthe side wailiabutjton at the outer side of the wall andapin passing loosely through said wa1lslot' and 'securing the latch t0 the Abutton forrgravity operation:

3. A gravityoperable latch for -a cabinetfhavi ing a side wall having at its front an 'inturned vertical flange which' is. .adapted to ybe e ngag e i by the inner` face Iof a door for the cabinet, and in which the flange has an opening adaptedto be traversed by a keeper Aon the door, said latch` comprising an angle iron slidabiy guided in the inner angle between and by the sidewall and the flange, the cabinet having a slot in the side wall, a button atl the outer side of the wall, a pin passing through saidwall slot and securing the button to the angle iron, andsaid keeper having a slot on its upper side into which the lower end of the latch enters by gravitymovement to latch the door.

4. A gravity-operable 'latchl for a'cabinet h av-l ing a side wall having at its frontan in turned vertical flange which is adapted to be engaged .by

the inner face of a door for the cabinet,and in` which the flange hasan opening adapted torbe traversed by a keeper on the door, saidlatch coinv prising a piece -of angle iron slidably guided in the inner angle between and by the side wall and the flange and with the outer faces lof the angle iron engaging the corresponding inner faces of the Walland flange, the cabinet having a slot in the side Wall,- a button yat the outer side ofthe wall, a pin passing; loosely through said wall slot and securingthe button to the angle iron, and said keeper having a slot on itsvupper side into which the lower end of the angle iron entersf; by gravity movement to latch the door closed.V

FRANK G. STEINER. 

